1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the control of software and files on computer networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for automatically distributing software to and updating software and files on workstations on a computer network.
1.1. Reference to Microfiche Appendix
A microfiche appendix including Appendices A and B, with 254 frames on 3 fiche, was submitted with this application and is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Currently, one of the primary barriers to software (i.e. computer programs) sales is the cost of installation and maintenance. Services (support, distribution/installation, updating, and administration) make up the largest expenditure of total personal computer (PC) software costs while the cost of the software itself accounts for only a small portion of these total costs. According to the Gartner Group's study of personal computer software costs for a 2,000 node local area network (LAN) over a five year life cycle, 91% of the costs are for services such as administration, distribution/installation, and support. Only 9% of the cost is allocated to the cost of the software itself (e.g. initial licenses, upgrades, acquisition costs, and programming).
As a result, many organizations update their software infrequently due to the costs involved. Additionally, one must consider the impact on users, since their computers are unavailable during this process and productivity is reduced. Some organizations have not networked their personal computers due to these problems. Yet, the expenses of supporting standalone personal computers are very high, since a standalone computer requires that a support person actually visit the user to determine the nature of a problem or to update the software on the PC.
As a result, a bottleneck currently exists for organizations that do not have their PC's connected to a computer network, since each PC must have its software updated individually. The same bottleneck exists in organizations that do have networked PC's due to the already discussed high cost of maintenance and support of software on the network.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a system for automatically distributing software from a file server to workstations located on a computer network.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for automatically updating, from a central location on a computer network, software installed in workstations connected to the computer network.